List: Must-Visit Music Festivals for UK, European Travelers
Are you planning a trip to the old continent this summer? Whether it’s for a special event or just for the sake of traveling overseas, attending a music festival is always a great reason — and a perfect motivation — for the effort it takes.
Summer is the perfect time to indulge yourself in culture, adventure, and unforgettable experiences thanks to Europe’s vibrant cities and stunning landscapes. Amid the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean and the lively streets of Central Europe, your vacation can be a mix of cultural discovery and live music. Whether you’re dancing under the stars in a festival crowd or enjoying the scenic beauty of the Swiss Alps, this summer journey guarantees memories that will last a lifetime.
Here are some of the most popular and established music festivals that are perfect for a European adventure this summer:
Glastonbury Festival
Pilton, Somerset, England
June 25-29, 2025
The UK is known for its music festivals, but undoubtedly, the most popular is Glastonbury Festival. The festival recently announced that British music icon Sir Rod Stewart is set to make his return to the event in 2025, taking on the Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage. The performance will be Stewart’s first at the festival since his headlining appearance in 2002.
The established festival will also see Neil Young perform with his new band, The Chrome Hearts. This marks the artist’s return to the Pyramid Stage, where he previously headlined in 2009.
The five-day event has hosted David Bowie, Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Radiohead, The Cure, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Adele, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, SZA, Guns N’ Roses, Patti Smith, Lionel Richie, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Muse, Stevie Wonder, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Nick Cave, Kasabian, Lily Allen, Oasis, Travis, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, and many more artists since its establishment in 1970.
General Admission full weekend tickets (valid from Wednesday, June 25th to Sunday June 29th) for Glastonbury 2025 cost £378.50 ($468) (including a £5 booking fee per ticket). Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading & Leeds, England
August 21-24, 2025
Taking place simultaneously over the August Bank Holiday weekend annually, Reading and Leeds Festivals are the longest-running popular music festivals in the UK. While it originally began in 1961 as the jazz and blues festival, it has changed into a multi-genre event over the years. Dubbed Reading Festival in 1971, it has showcased a wide variety of music genres, from rock, alternative, and metal to hip-hop, electronic, and indie.
Both festivals have deep roots in the UK’s music scene. Leeds joined the lineup in 1999 as a sister event to Reading, making it a twin-festival experience, with both locations hosting the same performances at the same time.
The 2025 lineup of the festivals include Travis Scott, Chappell Roan, Bring Me The Horizon, Hozier, Becky Hill, Lola Young, and more.
Weekend ticket prices range between £325-£361 ($400-$446). Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Download Festival
Donington Park, Leicestershire, England
June 13-15, 2025
Primarily focusing on rock and metal music, Download Festival features a wide variety of subgenres, including hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, alternative, and more. It has a reputation for attracting some of the biggest names in rock and metal music. Launched in England in 2003, Download has welcomed some of the biggest names in the scene, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica, Audioslave, Korn, Soundgarden, Motörhead, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Kiss, Judas Priest, Rammstein, Status Quo, Mötley Crüe, Faith No More, Guns N’ Roses, and Fall Out Boy.
This year’s edition will see Green Day, Sleep Token, and Korn, with additional performances by Weezer, Bullet For My Valentine, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Steel Panther, Spiritbox, Sex Pistols with Frank Carter, The Darkness, and McFly.
Weekend Ticket (general admission) prices range between £200-£300 ($247-$370). Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Primavera Sound Barcelona
Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain
June 4-8, 2025
The hot spot of the old continent hosts one of the most-attended music events, with its stunning location by the sea, and a diverse, high-quality lineup. Launched in 2001, Primavera Sound gained an international recognition beginning in 2010 and attracted people traveling from all over the world to experience the event.
Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Chappell Roan are set to headline the Primavera Sound’s 2025 edition in Barcelona. In addition to these headliners, the 2025 bill includes LCD Soundsystem, fresh off their string of reunion shows, along with FKA Twigs, Fontaines D.C., Clairo, HAIM, and Turnstile.
Full festival tickets start from €315 ($325) plus fees. For additional information, festivalgoers can visit the Primavera Sound Festival official website.
Sónar
Barcelona, Spain
June 12-14, 2025
Founded in 1994, Sónar blends visual art, technology, and interactive performances, creating a multi-sensory environment. Some of the biggest names of electronic and experimental music scene, such as The Chemical Brothers, James Blake, Björk, Thom Yorke, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Beastie Boys, and many more, have headlined the festival so far.
The 2025 lineup will see Plastikman, Peggy Gou, Nathy Peluso, BICEP, Armin van Buuren, Skrillex, Barry Can’t Swim, Jayda G, Overmono, Marcel Dettmann live, Nina Kraviz, Anetha, and more take the stage.
Festival tickets start from €195 ($200). Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Montreux Jazz Festival
Lake Geneva, Montreux, Switzerland
July 4-19, 2025
Originally designed as a classic jazz festival with an inaugural edition in 1967, Montreux Jazz Festival has grown over time. Since the ’80s, the festival has embraced a wider variety of music styles. It has hosted over 1300 artists from 1967 to 2016, with some performing multiple times at different editions of the event.
The second largest jazz event in the world – after Canada’s Montreal International Jazz Festival – has featured Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Soft Machine, Quincy Jones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, B.B. King, Etta James, Ray Charles, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Leonard Cohen, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, David Bowie, Phil Collins, and many more to-date.
The 2024 lineup featured Sting, Alice Cooper, Lenny Kravitz, The Smashing Pumpkins, James Arthur, Deep Purple, The National, PJ Harvey, Diana Krall, Asaf Avidan, Yussef Dayes, and more. The 2025 lineup has not been revealed at this time.
For additional information, festivalgoers can visit Montreux Jazz Festival’s official website.
Hellfest Open Air
Clisson, Nantes, France
June 19-22, 2025
Drawing flocks of rock and metal fans to France from all over the world since 2006, Hellfest is gearing up to host Korn, Muse, Scorpions, Linkin Park, Within Temptation, Judas Priest, Electric Callboy, and more this year.
The festival releases the first wave of four-day passes when none of the acts have been announced. Germany’s Wacken Open Air is another annual heavy metal event whose tickets happen to be sold out even before the lineup has been revealed.
However, sold-out tickets will not let headbangers down. The festival announced that single-day passes will go on sale in the first quarter of 2025. Visit Hellfest’s website for more information and updates.
Wacken Open Air
Wacken village in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
July 30 – August 2, 2025
Wacken Open Air is one of the largest and most established heavy metal festivals in the world. Held annually since 1989, it has become a metal mecca over the years, drawing hard rock fans and the hit bands from around the globe. According to organizers, 2018 saw visitors from more than 80 nations attending the festival.
The 2025 lineup includes Guns N’ Roses, Machine Head, Papa Roach, King Diamond, Michael Schenker, W.A.S.P., Salatio Mortis, Gojira, 1349, Angel Witch, Apocalyptica, August Burns Red, Benediction, Clowns, Destruction, Grave Digger, Krisiun, Macabre, Exhorder, Hanabie, Midnight, Mimi Barks, Ministry, Night Demon, Orange Goblin, Within Temptation, and more.
Tickets for the 2025 edition is sold-out, but fans can try their luck by signing up for the waiting list or purchase tickets on the Ticketcenter where they can buy and sell W:O:A 2025 tickets from and to other fans at the original price. Visit Wacken Open Air’s website for more information.
Sziget
Óbudai-sziget, Budapest, Hungary
August 6-11, 2025
Sziget, originating in 1993, is another international music event in Europe, drawing thousands of audiences from outside the country. It takes place in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget (“Old Buda Island”), a-266-acre island on the Danube river.
Sziget, the two-time winner at the European Festivals Awards in the category of Best Major European Festival in 2011 and 2014, is known for its “island of freedom” motto, with a focus on inclusivity, artistic expression, and a vibrant party atmosphere.
Sziget’s 2025 lineup features Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Nelly Furtado, Papa Roach, Armin van Buuren, Adriatique, Kenya Grace, Anyma, and more.
Ticket prices range between €189 and €309 ($194 and $318). Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Electric Castle
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
July 16-20, 2025
Are you ready for a trip to Transylvania? Electric Castle takes place next to the iconic 15th-century Bánffy Castle at the heart of Transylvania. The medium-sized festival boasts a diverse lineup of more than 250 local and international artists, featuring a mix of genres, new media installations, and performances.
The 2025 lineup will see performances by Justin Timberlake, Queens of the Stone Age, Justice, Bicep, Netsky, Shaggy, Nghtmre, Sofi Tukker, Noga Erez, Neil Frances, Hot since 82, Ame, Refused, and more.
Festival tickets range between €69 and €169 ($71 and $173) plus tax fees. Visit the festival’s website for more information.
Exit Festival
Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia
July 10-13, 2025
Exit Festival takes place every July in Serbia’s Novi Sad, at the Petrovaradin Fortress. The award-winning international summer music festival hosts over 1,000 performers on more than 40 stages and festival zones each year.
The 2025 lineup will see Eric Prydz, Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter, Tiësto, Indira Paganotto, B2B, Sara Landry, The Boomtown Rats, Hurts, Loreen, and many more on stage.
Festival tickets start from €100 ($103) plus booking fee. Visit festival’s website for more information.
Hideout Festival
Zrce Beach, Croatia
June 22-26, 2025
Taking place at Croatia’s famous Zrce Beach, Hideout Festival truly offers a summer experience full of electronic music. This year marks the event’s 15th year anniversary. While bringing together electronic music artists for five days and nights, Hideout also provides music fans with a sun-soaked pool, beach, and boat parties — with evening raves held under the stars right through to sunrise.
Hideout’s 2025 lineup features Alan Fitzpatrick, Bubble Love, Charlie Sparks, Girls Don’t Sync, Eats Everything, Josh Baker, Special Request, and many more.
Festival tickets start from €189 ($195) plus booking fee. Visit festival’s website for more information.
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde, Denmark
June 28 – July 5, 2025
The annual Danish music festival features a wide range of musical styles, including rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, indie, metal, and world music.
This year’s lineup at Roskilde Festival will see Olivia Rodrigo, Stormzy, Arca, Artigeardit, Fontaines D.C., Deftones, Beth Gibbons, Anoushka Shankar, Magdalena Bay, Jamie XX, and more to count.
Ticket prices range between 2070 DKK ($286) and 2520 DKK ($348). Visit the festival’s website for purchasing options and more information.
